Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati was on Thursday questioned over the unauthorized use of donor funds, payment of allowances and expenditures of Covid-19 funds without budgets and procurement plans.
Appearing before a senate committee, Wangamati was hard-pressed to explain why his administration advanced Sh20.19 million as imprest to select county staff without the authority of the donor.
The Health committee also demanded to know why Bungoma made double payments to county staff and spent Sh106.30 million disbursed to the county to fight the virus without approved work plans, budgets and procurement plans.
The panel chaired by Trans Nzoia Michael Mbito is investigating use of Covid 19 cash by the 47 counties after a special audit by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed several breaches that could exposed the public money.
According to the report, the county disbursed as imprest Sh20.19 million to eight county officers for use transport and training.
Out of the amount, Sh12.65 million was spent on transport and training allowances.
The cash was donated by the world to support the fight against the pandemic through Kenya Devolution Support program (KDSP).
However, the county did not provide plans or details of trained personnel.
In addition, the World Bank prohibited the country from appropriating the funds for allowances, per diem and airtime.
“In addition, the facilitators’ allowances rate would vary from Sh5,000, Sh8,000 and Sh10,000 from the same kind of training without justification,” reads the report.
In his response, Governor Wangamati admitted the funds that the training and traveling activities were implemented through the use of imprests.
“These are activities that have very limited procurements. The expenditures were largely composed of transport reimbursements to the amendments,” he said.
The governor said the county had nor provided the supporting documents as the amounts were in imprest form and had not been surrendered.
But the auditor told the senators that the response was not sufficient as the county government used the cash for purchase not provided for by the donor, thus putting the county at risk of being denied the funds in future.
The county was also put the governor to explain why the county paid Sh30,000 to an office two as allowances in contravention of a circular by the salaries and remuneration commission.
Wangamati said the Sh30,000 paid to the officer was made erroneously included in the list of August, 2020 beneficiaries.
The county also made double payment amounting to Sh147, 038 to Mukwa Dispensary while slashed that for Karima Dispensary by Sh28, 935.
However the senators pushed the governor to provide pay slip of the affected officer.
He also told the nine member committee that the double payment of Sh147, 038 to to Mukwa dispensary was an erroneous invoice.
Wangamati added that payment to Karima Dispensary was under invoice in the Ifmis.